Waiting for a hip replacement

gbrousseau1

Good morning. I am new to this community. I have an arthritis in my right hip and am scheduled for a total replacement on April 25th. I had a cortisone shot in February, which gave me no relief, so I now have to wait another month for surgery. Meanwhile I am in a lot of pain. I am icing and heating, on celebrex and tramadol. Has anyone experienced this type of pain? It feels as though my hip is going to give out.

Anna

Hello @gbrousseau1 and welcome to the online community,

You're scheduled for hip replacement on 25th April and you would like to know if anyone else experiences a lot of pain in their hip. I'm sure that many of our members can understand the pain you feel and certainly do sympathise with you.

I've linked to the Versus Arthritis page on managing pain, and you might find it helpful. As well as medication, it suggests ways that you might be able to help yourself deal with pain. This includes gentle exercises and complementary treatments:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/your-experiences/your-stories/noras-story/

Other members may suggest what works for them - below is Nora's story of how she was able to make small changes in her life to help with her pain:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/your-experiences/your-stories/noras-story/

Please let us know how your surgery goes, and do come back to read how some of our members have moved on after their hip replacements.

Anna (Mod)

Bella59

I wish you well for your forthcoming operation not long now to wait.Hopefully you will find a massive difference after initial recovery.I myself had one hip replaced six months ago and I found result great.Unfortunately still using crutches due to other hip.I am having other hip replaced next week fingers crossed.Have pre operation assessment tomorrow then pct test Saturday,after this must self isolate.My only worry is covid situation at moment in case operation is cancelled.I myself am very rarely out due to my weak immune system.Let us know how you get on and best wishes.

Lilymary

Hi @gbrousseau1 , I went through this in the last few years. Unrelenting pain 24/7 despite meds, and the steroid injection was a waste of time (given that I had no cartilage left) and gave me no relief at all. I had replacement in April 2021 after long waiting lists thanks to the pandemic and while it's not exactly a walk in the park (no pun intended), the arthritic pain went instantly. People recover at different rates - some are almost back to normal within 4-5 months, others like me find out their body is a total drama queen and is rewriting the "slow recovery path" 🙄 . But I'm getting there.

Meanwhile I found a lot of the tips in this link were helpful in getting through prior to surgery. Distraction in particular works well, ie absorb yourself in something you enjoy to take your focus away from the pain.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

If you can, exercise within your pain limits, and strengthening your muscles pre-surgery seems to really help recovery rates (although my hip was so bad there wasn't a lot I could do, so don't beat yourself up if you're the same). Hang on in there, the end is in sight, and you'll be surprised at how independent you can be round the house quite quickly after surgery, with a bit of ingenuity! Keep coming on here if you need to moan or for tips for post surgery recovery.

ClaireS

Excellent news that you arevti get your new hip. In the meantime, have you tried the app called Escape Pain? I use it and find it extremely helpful providing exercises which should help with relieving the pain.

I had a full left hip replacement in December 2020 and was waking without crutches after 6 weeks but I'm a determined little bugger! 😁

Hope all goes well and good luck with the recovery 🙏